"How has the practice session progressed" Nell asks when she breezes into the kitchen after lunch.
I can see through her bold act, she’s shivering with cold, her hair is dishevelled and her eyes are red rimmed as if she has been crying. But she holds head high as she looks me in the eye.
Je peux voir à travers son geste audacieux qu'elle frissonne de froid, que ses cheveux sont ébouriffés et que ses yeux sont cernés de rouge comme si elle avait pleuré. Mais elle garde la tête haute pendant qu'elle me regarde dans les yeux.
"Rose?" Why is she picking on me?
"Rose?" Why is she picking on me?
"Have you perfected the tunes? The pipes are the dominate instrument. You cannot make mistakes."
"I’m doing OK."
"OK!" Her red eyes widen. "OK is not good enough."
"Cat, how are they progressing?"
Cat turns from the sink where she is washing the soup pot and narrows her green eyes at Nell. The two stare at each other for what feels like an hour then Cat dries her hand on a dish towel and put both her thumbs up in a positive declaration of our OK progress.
Cat turns from the sink where she is washing the soup pot and narrows her green eyes at Nell. The two stare at each other for what feels like an hour then Cat dries her hand on a dish towel and put both her thumbs up in a positive declaration of our OK progress.
"Well it seems Cat thinks you are more than OK. But that is not good enough. This afternoon we will work on the transitions between the tunes. You must work harder because I have decided to move the performance forward the day after tomorrow."
I hear Rory sigh.
"No way," Stella says.
"Yes way, Stella. And if you do well, as soon as the performance is over, I will give you the precious Wifi code. How is that?"
"It sounds like a bribe," I think but then, when everyone stares at me, I realise I’ve said it out loud. Nell keeps her gaze on me but doesn’t speak.
"I just mean, that you can’t expect to cut a whole day out of our practise time. It’s not fair."
"I just mean, that you can’t expect to cut a whole day out of our practise time. It’s not fair."
"Cela ressemble à une ruse," je pense, mais ensuite, quand tout le monde me regarde fixement, je comprends que je l'ai dit à voix haute. Nell laisse son regard sur moi mais ne parle pas.
"Je veux juste dire que vous ne pouvez pas penser à enlever une journée entière de notre temps de pratique. Ce n'est pas juste."
"Je veux juste dire que vous ne pouvez pas penser à enlever une journée entière de notre temps de pratique. Ce n'est pas juste."
"What’s not fair is not having a Wifi code," Stella says.
"Oh for goodness sake shut up about the stupid code," Fiona snaps then immediately sinks back in her chair.
"What did you say?" Stella stands up, her accordion hugged into her like armour.
"Stop it," I say to Stella. But Stella will not be stopped.
"Who says you’re the boss, Rose? You’re not even supposed to be here. If it wasn’t for the fact your precious brother is part of this elite group you’d be in the East wing."
"Leave me out of it," Rory says.
I turn to Nell who is now smiling. "What are you trying to do?"
"Play," she says. "Play this afternoon and play all evening."
Stella sits down and launches into Miss Lyall. We all pick up and the energy in the room buzzes. The marches thump through the kitchen like we are going into battle, the jigs fly off into the stratosphere. Our transitions from one tune to the next hit the right beat every time. My breath is strong and my fingers move without any thoughts from me. Nell made us mad at each other and it works as a charm to make us play more than OK.
Stella s'assoit et se lance dans Miss Lyall. Nous reprenons tous et l'énergie dans la pièce bourdonne. Les marches battent à travers la cuisine comme si nous allions au combat, les gigues s'envolent dans la stratosphère. Nos transitions d'un morceau à l'autre trouvent le bon rythme à chaque fois. Mon souffle est fort et mes doigts bougent sans que j'y pense. Nell nous a mis en colère les uns contre les autres et cela fonctionne comme un sort pour nous faire jouer plus qu'OK.
We play into the night until Cat begins to prepare our evening meal, but still she leaves the circle of chairs and after we have eaten, we play through our set again and again, until Cat rings the small bell and sends us to bed.
As I leave the kitchen I remember the door to the cellar and cave. Would the door be open? But I’ve no opportunity to check because Cat stands in my way, arms folded across her chest. Her green eyes sparkling.
"Go to bed and sleep, Miss Rose MacLeod," she says.
Hector the Hero may have played in the night but I’m too tired to hear it. At one time, in the early morning, I go to the toilet and for once Fiona is sound asleep. I creep from the room using my phone torch and can’t help myself look towards the cellar door. There’s something blocking the door. As I step nearer, I make out the form of a body; Cat asleep on the floor still dressed in green and clutching a fiddle to her chest. I rush back to the room and grab a blanket. As I drape it over her, a small smile appears on her lips.
